An outsole (1) for athletic shoes (2) having stud-type cleat elements arranged in the front sole area (3) and heel area (4), the cleat elements extending in a conically tapered manner from the base (6) thereof to the contact surface (7). To improve the outsole, in order to enable improved contact of the feet when they are placed on the ground, even when the ground is moderately hard, the height (h_red) of at least one cleat element (5) in the sole edge area (12) of the heel area (4) is reduced in relation to the average height (h_norm) of the other cleat elements (5") in that area.